Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Alfred Jensen. It dates from 1961 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
A central square bears the word “East” in white cursive script, while the surrounding shapes are accented with red, yellow, green and blue stripes.
Created in 1961, this oil on canvas by Alfred Jensen presents a structured arrangement of twelve squares organized in a four‑by‑three grid. The composition alternates black and white fields, each containing a circular or semicircular form rendered in thick paint. A central square bears the word “East” in white cursive script, while the surrounding shapes are accented with red, yellow, green and blue stripes.
Subject & Meaning
The work combines geometric abstraction with textual elements, suggesting a dialogue between visual order and linguistic signifiers. The inclusion of the word “East” and the systematic placement of colored arcs hint at Jensen’s interest in symbolic systems and the interplay of direction, language, and visual rhythm within a non‑representational framework.
Technique & Style
Jensen employs impasto, applying oil paint in dense, raised layers that give the circles and half‑circles a tactile quality. The palette is limited to stark black‑white backgrounds punctuated by vivid primary hues, while the precise grid underscores his concrete abstract approach, aligning with the broader abstract expressionist movement of the early 1960s.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of mid‑century American abstraction. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s commitment to documenting the evolution of abstract expressionism and the experimental practices of artists like Jensen during that period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Julio Jensen (11 December 1903 – 4 April 1981) was an abstract painter. His paintings are often characterized by grids of brightly colored triangles, circles or squares, painted in thick impasto. Conveying a…
